Boston vs. Toronto: A budding rivalry

When listing Boston’s biggest sports rivals, Toronto has not historically been the first city that rolls off the tongue. But there’s a budding rivalry between the cities, one that heated up over the weekend when the Maple Leafs came back for two wins over the Bruins and the Blue Jays won their series with the Red Sox. The Bruins and Leafs will face off in Game 7 Monday night. Feuds between players, between coaches, and between a manager and his former city have turned up the volume on the rivalry, as has this sign made in poor taste by a Leafs fan. Which city has the historical advantage, and which has the edge going forward? We break down the matchup.
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Cities at a glance

If Toronto were in the United States, it would be this country’s 4th-largest city. Based on the latest census data Boston ranks 21st. As Canada’s commercial capital, Toronto is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange and some of the nation’s largest banks. Boston is America’s education capital, home to many of the best institutions of higher learning in the world. Both cities border large bodies of water, and real estate is nearly impossible in each.
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John Farrell the traitor

Blue Jays fans aren’t ready to forgive John Farrell for jumping ship in the offeason. Farrell managed the Blue Jays to a 4th-place finish last season, going 73-89. Farrell was supposed to save the Blue Jays, but the ex-Red Sox pitching coach returned to his old team this offseason. He’s got the Red Sox off to a great start, and he’s seemingly revitalized the careers of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. All of that has Jays fans asking, “Why can’t we get guys like that?”
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Fans

The moron who brought the “Toronto Stronger” sign to Game 3 of the Bruins-Leafs series does not represent an entire fan base, so we can’t cast dispersions on all Leafs fans. What we can do is point on some overall differences in the two fan bases. Boston fans are notoriously rabid. The Blue Jays have trouble filling the Rogers Centre. In fact, Toronto’s home ballpark has been known to fill up with more Red Sox fans than Blue Jays in recent years. As for Leafs fans: What’s with the scarves?
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Tyler Seguin vs. Phil Kessel

On Sept. 18, 2009, the Bruins traded Phil Kessel to Toronto for draft picks that brought back Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, and Jared Knight. Bruins fans have viewed the trade as a massive win for their team; Seguin and Hamilton are two of the best young players in the game. In recent months, however, the trade has taken on a new look. Kessel led the Leafs last season with 37 goals and 45 assists in 82 games. This year he put up 20 goals and 32 assists in 48 games. The trade was a question of style; Bruins fans never liked the lack of physicality from Kessel. The trade has made Kessel a lightning rod in both cities. Seguin has struggled mightly in the playoffs.
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Kessel vs. Brad Marchand

In addition to getting under the skin of Bruins fans, Kessel has gotten under the skin of Bruin Brad Marchand. Kessel has one career fight, but he apparently told Marchand he would “fight him anytime.” Marchand dropped a glove during Game 3 to test the theory but Kessel didn’t bite. “He was shoving and he told me before he’d go with me any time, so I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen, but I just wanted to be prepared.” The two have yet to drop the gloves.
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Celebrities

Canadians have a reputation of being funny, so it’s no surprise that Mike Myers and Jim Carrey hail from Toronto. Other well-known Toronto celebrities include Will Arnett, Justin Bieber (I know, we buried the lead), Rachel McAdams, Drake, and Ryan Gosling. Boston’s best-known celebrities are actors Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg. The city and surrounding region are also known for producing well-known politicians.
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Food and drink

Both cities are sweet spots for foodies, and ethnic diversity contributes to the food landscapes of each. Close to 20 percent of the population of Toronto comes from India or China. Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood was recently named the 8th-most diverse neighborhood in the U.S. The traditional view of Boston as a town filled with good clam chowder and bad Irish bars is outdated. Speaking of beer, Boston is one of the better beer towns in the United States, with 44 craft breweries and counting in Massachusetts. Toronto’s beer scene is still dominated by mass-produced light lagers and is a work in progress.
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Roger Clemens

It was a long time ago, but Clemens’s defection to the Blue Jays following the 1996 season did not sit well with Red Sox fans. After going 10-13 in his final season in Boston, Clemens led the majors with 21 wins during his first season in Toronto, also leading the league in ERA and strikeouts. He followed that up with his second straight Cy Young season. It’s hard to blame anyone in Toronto for Clemens as the blame lies with Clemens himself, but the Blue Jays provide an interesting footnote to one of Boston’s best athletes of all-time.
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Claude Julien vs. Randy Carlyle

Adding to the enjoyment of this Bruins-Leafs series is a minor kerfuffle between the two coaches. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle accused the Bruins of cheating on face-offs in Game 3, pointing to video evidence. Boston won 60 percent of face-offs in the game. “I’ve looked at the video, too,” said Julien. “It is what it is. Guys getting kicked out, not getting kicked out. When you lobby for something, it’s because you’re looking for a bit of a break the next game. That’s what Randy’s doing right now. He’s lobbying for some breaks on the face-offs.
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City landmarks/history

Toronto’s CN Tower was completed in 1976 and at the time was the world’s tallest free-standing structure. Boston isn’t known for tall buildings, instead skewing older with the Old North Church and Freedom Trail. Boston is the birthplace of the American Revolution. The city of Toronto saw an influx of British settlers during the war but wasn’t incorporated until 1834.
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Other sports

Start in the NBA, where the Celtics hold a slight edge over the Raptors in championships won (17 to 0). Both Boston and Toronto’s hockey teams are members of the Original Six. Toronto’s football team, the Argonauts of the CFL, have won 16 Grey Cup Titles compared to the three Super Bowls won by the New England Patriots. The Blue Jays haven’t been relevant since winning the World Series in 1993. The Red Sox went through a bit of a dry spell there in the middle of the 20th century.
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